Review: THE HABER CONUNDRUM at Capital Fringe

The complications of culture, career and conscience cut through fierce nationalistic pride in the heart and mind of the complex and committed Nobel -Prize winner Fritz Haber in the variegated one-person performance of David Kaye in The Haber Conundrum. The historical figure Fritz Haber is not that well-known to the general public but, indeed, he should be as he is one of those innovative and controversial historical figures who represents “both sides of a coin” (a theme that runs like a current throughout this solo performance).

 The importance of actor David Kaye writing a one-person /solo show cannot be underestimated as he conveys a multitude of themes in a timeframe that is compellingly compressed in fifty minutes. Kaye conveys the contradiction and conundrums of a cerebrally intelligent man who relieved the world from hunger via the Haber-Bosch process (Haber partnered with Carl Bosch). 

This process involved taking nitrogen from the air and converting it into ammonia, which made it possible to produce synthetic fertilizers to feed the world’s growing population. Yet, horrifyingly ----he developed chlorine gas for use in World War I that was later used (without his direct involvement) to develop Zyklon B –which was used for the extermination of more than one million Jews in gas chambers (according to Wikipedia’s stats). 

Part of the DMV’s ongoing annual (and “well worth attending”) Capital Fringe Festival), this one-person show is directed by Stephanie Voss with an unerring eye towards honoring every nuance of every line that actor Kaye has written in this highly intelligent show. The only criticism that I can make towards this ambitious project is that it might need to be expanded to contain the multitude of themes that are explicated.

Nationalism and a sense of patriotism can cut both ways and here we have the ultimate conundrum. Fritz Haber was a proud German who was raised a Jew and yet became a fierce, committed nationalist. He was honored by the Kaiser for his scientific work and was awarded a Nobel Prize ---yet he converted from Judaism to Lutheranism ---only to resign from his professorship in Germany as Jewish scientists were being placed under attack. Actor Kaye portrays this with pointed, barbed and painful hurt and irony. 

In the play, the superb writing of this one-man show (which reminded me of the Holocaust/World War II -oriented David Strathairn-acted one-person show entitled Remember This -The Legend of Jan Karski in its raw unrelenting power). This performance also incorporates the often sad and trying personal and familial events of a life (Haber’s life) in an incisive and subtle manner ; these events are mirrored as analogies to the tragic historical events of World War 1 (and the impending horrors of World War II ----this one person show /solo performance anticipates the horror of the film Oppenheimer---where Truman had to make the decision to drop the atomic bomb to help stop the Japanese in World War II). 

Historical parallels of destruction are conveyed in this amazing solo performance such as when Haber is considered “the father of chemical warfare”—as the result of his developing and weaponizing chlorine and other poisonous gases during World War I (but this was used to break trench deadlock). However, moral conundrums continue to ensue as familial details parallel the horrors of historical events. 

Familial tragedies erupt as actor Kaye describes Haber’s wife Clara committing suicide and their son Hermann committing suicide. Actor Kaye describes these scenarios with a controlled depth of despair that is heartbreaking to witness. An interesting concept of this show was Mr. Kaye portraying Haber’s domineering and brusque father --who did not encourage his son in any of his many endeavors.

The virtue of this one-person performance is that actor David Kaye’s incisively written work compresses such a multitude of contradictions and conundrums into one intriguing and synergistic unity. Mr. Kaye energetically moves around the intimate stage space with pointed irony, dry wit, and emotional nuance ---Mr. Kaye is totally immersed within the essence of the real-life character of Fritz Haber. 

Albert Einstein called Haber’s life “the tragedy of the German Jew: the tragedy of unrequited love.”

Like the coin that has two differing sides, we are left with the eternal questions and conundrums: What is the cost of war, and will science and technology solve our problems or foster our ills? 

The acting, writing, (and the inherent moral questions that are raised) by Mr. David Kaye make this a “must see” event. Do not miss this Capital Fringe production!

Running Time: fifty minutes 

The Haber Conundrum will be presented by Capital Fringe on July 19, 2024 at 8:30pm, July 20, 2024 at 7:50pm and on July 21, 2024 at 4pm at the Laughter venue located at 1150 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036.

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